Coin depository for parking meter



Dec. 25, 196 u. s. ROBINSON ,ETAL 3,070,289

COIN DEPOSIIORY FOR PARKING METER Filed Dec. 11, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 {QM MM INVENTQRS Z/rsazy .S'FabihEan Char/E's W Uni/5'5 y W /l 1952 u. s. ROBINSON ETAL 3,0 89

COIN DEPOSITORY FOR PARKING METER Filed Dec. 11, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Z/rss'zy 5270b 5012 Dec. 25, 1962 u. s. ROBINSON ETAL 3,070,289

com DEPOSITORY FOR PARKING METER Filed Dec. 11, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIIIIIIII" 12 T l 1 \\\\\\\Tm\ /03 I E I i A? 5 s8 a I 51 15 f A ma 5%23%"5m f PL E Charles WC'Uf/EE 0 36 I00 '94 R n 11 United States Patent 3,070,289 COIN DEPOSITORY FOR PARKING METER Ursery S. Robinson and Charles W. Coffee, Lubbock, Tex. Filed Dec. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 779,723 '7 Claims. (Cl. 232-1) This invention relates to parking meters and more particularly to parking meters of the concealed coin type.

By concealed coin type parking meters is meant that type which is disclosed in Comptons US. Patents Nos. 2,509,480 and 2,593,985.

An object of this invention is to provide a concealed type parking meter in which the mechanism may be more easily actuated. To check the Compton meter it is necessary to insert a key in a tumbler type lock and rotate the key to actuate the mechanism; then the key is returned to its original position and withdrawn from the lock. The meters disclosed herein may be more quickly checked by inserting a magnetized key into the side of the meter pushing it all the way in and then withdrawing the key.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device as above that is actuated by magnetic attraction.

Further objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, compact, simple, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a meter built in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an inside view of the front portion of the meter of FIG. 1.

. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2, showing the details of the coin opening.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the plate in place.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the mechanism taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the plate shown in the position of the coin exposed to the window, partially broken away.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 5 showing details of the key opening.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a modified form of the invention, as would be taken on line 99 of FIG. 10, partially broken away.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 1010 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9 of yet another modification, as would be taken on line 11-11 of FIG. 13.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is another sectional View of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 taken on line 1313 of FIG. 11.

As may be seen in the accompanying drawings one embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l-8 makes use of a spring biased pivoted plate 20.

The housing of the meter includes back portion 22 which also forms a base of the meter and the front portion 24. The front portion is attached to the base and back by a hinge and kept in the closed position by means of lock 28. Within the front is the opening 30 for in serting a coin 32 into the meter.

Projecting as ribs from the inside of the front housing of the meter are various members which form chutes. These include rib 34 which forms the general by-pass chute between it and main rib 36. The main operating chute or passageway is between the main rib 36 and the side of the housing 38. The front of the housing also has a window 40 so that the operator may observe if the disc inside the meter is a coin of the correct denomination or some other type of disc such as a washer.

The plate 20 has several lugs projecting from its inner face toward the front of the meter. Specifically, it has the main lug 42 which holds the coin and prevents it from falling in front of the window when first inserted. Also there is the inspection lug 44 which holds the coin in front of the window when the plate is in the displaced position as seen in FIG. 7. Last there is retaining lug 46 which holds a second coin in the chute and prevents more than one coin from falling in front of the inspection window at any one time.

The plate is pivoted about an axis normal to the plane of the front 24 about a pivot lug 48. A screw holds the plate against the front of the meter so that the coins cannot fall due to looseness in construction. The plate is held in the normal position as seen in FIG. 5 by leaf spring 50.

To actuate the plate and thus drop the nickels into the container in the bottom, magnetized key 54 is passed through opening 52 which is in the side of the front portion of the housing opposite the side 38. The key is aided in pulling the plate against the tension of the spring 50 by placing magnet 56 on the plate in alignment with the hole 52. A magnetic material not magnetized may be used in lieu of magnet 56. The opening 52 through which the magnet is inserted is of some rare or unusual or distinct shape. In this way vandals having a magnet cannot maliciously trip the meter and give an indication that the person who placed the coin in the meter had not done so Naturally the magnetized key 54 would be of a correlative shape. Although an S shaped opening is illustrated, other rare or unusual or distinct shapes could be used.

To check the meter, the checker will insert the key 54 through the opening 52 to contact the magnet on the plate 20. Then as the key is withdrawn, the magnetic attraction -will pull the plate over as seen in FIG. 7. If a coin has been placed in the meter since it was checked last, it will fall from the main lug 42 to the inspection ing 44 and be held in front of the window 40. The checker then removes the magnet. When the magnet is removed, the spring 50 will return the plate to the position as seen in FIG. 5. If there are two coins in the chute when the plate is in the position of FIG. 7, the other coin will be retained by the retaining lug 46. When the plate returns to the normal position, the coin will not fall in front of the window, but will be held by main lug 42.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a modification. This modification also has ribs 58 and 60 which form a chute or passageway for coins in the same manner that the main rib 36 and the side housing 38 did in the previous described embodiment. However, instead of having a moving plate to cover the ribs to complete the passageway in this case there is a cover 62 which is attached to the ribs. As may be seen, the ribs 58 and 60 extend substantially vertical. Also as may be seen, the rib 60 is shorter. It has more clearance from coin opening 64 than the rib 58, therefore, if more than two coins are dropped, additional coins will by-pass the mechanism and fall directly into the coin collecting box in the bottom of the meter, not shown. Guide or track 66 projects from the front of the housing below the chute formed by ribs 58 and 60. Slide block 68 is carried on this track. The slide block is normally retained in a retracted position as shown in FIG. 9 by leaf spring 70 which acts against a projection which extends from theslide block. The leaf spring 70 not only urges the slide block 68 to the retracted position as seen in FIG. 9 but also as it is attached by two screws, it exerts lateral pressure on the slide block so that it is the force that maintains the slide block against the front of the casing.

Two straps 72 and 74 extend from the slide block on either side thereof. The strap 72 is adjacent to the inside of the front of the meter and rides against it. The strap 74 is on the side of the slide block 68 opposite the strap 72. As may be seen, the coin will drop from the chute to a position on track 66 and be contained between the two straps 72 and 74. As the track is inclined the coin will rest against the end surface of slide block 68. The top surface of the slide block is parallel to the track. The surface which pushes the coin is designated as the end surface and is normal to the upper surface. The strap 72 is cut out adjacent to the slide block so that as the slide block is moved up the incline plane 66 and past window 76, the coin may be seen by the checker. Otherwise the strap 72 blocks the view through the window.

Magnet 78 is attached between the straps 72 and 74 at their extreme ends. This makes it possible to actuate the member by inserting magnetized key 80 through an opening 82 similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. l-8.

In operating the meter, the checker will insert the key and pull the slide block until the coin is in front of the window 76 which is opposite the slide. After the coin is visually checked, continued pulling of the key will roll the coin off the end of the track 66 and the coin will fall to the bottom of the meter. As may be seen, the track lies below the window. However, to the left of the window the track is discontinued so that as a coin is pulled past the window it may drop. Continued pulling on the key will remove the key and the spring 70 will return the slide block to its original relaxed position.

FIGS. ll, 12 and 13 illustrate another modification. Ribs 84 and 86 form a chute or passageway for a coin to drop from the opening 88. In the normal position slide block 90 will be immediately below the chute resting on track or guide 92. The track in this case will be horizontal. Also the rib 86 is shorter than the rib 84 to form a by-pass as in the previous embodiments. In this instance the cover 94 for the ribs also extends on down to the track 92 and in this manner is the means for holding the slide block 90 in place.

The slide block is attached to a forward piece of paramagnetic material 96 by straps 98 and 100. As may be seen, the strap 98 lies next to the front of the meter and is rather narrow so that the coin may be exposed in window 102. Also the forward block 96 is rounded on its rear side so that a vandal may not insert a hook through key opening 104 and actuate the meter.

In normal position the meter will be in the position shown or extended even more to the left. Therefore when a coin is dropped, it will fall down the chute and rest on the top of slide block 90. The checker will insert magnetized key 106 through opening 104 and first push the slide block assembly to the right (as shown in FIG. ll) until the coin drops from the chute into the space between the slide block 90 and the forward block 96. Then retracting the key which by the magnetic attraction it has for the magnetic forward block 96 will pull the assembly to the left. This movement will first pull the coin by the window 102 where it can be checked as an authentic coin of the correct denomination and then further movement will roll the coin off of the edge of track 92 so the coin will fall onto a box below (not shown).

4 noted that with the slide in the extreme right position the forward block 96 will act as a shutter to block the view through the window. Also, the top surface of the slide block is horizontal and parallel to the track. The surface which pushes the coin is designated as the end surface and is normal to the upper surface.

As may be seen, particularly in FIG. 13, the forward block is made thicker than some of the other points so that it is in a better position to be contacted by the key magnet 106. A block of rubber or other sound deadening material 108 is in the track 92 immediately below the chute. The purpose of this is to prevent a person from pushing the slide block assembly to the light by a slender article (such as a toothpick or wire) and listening for a coin to drop. If a coin audibly hit the track 92, it would be known that some previous person had deposited a coin and therefore defeat the fundamental purpose of meters of this type.

It will also be noted that the tops of the straps 98 and 100 are beveled so that a coin will not jam on the top of them, but will fall to the track 92.

It will be apparent that the embodiments shown are only exemplary and that various modifications can be made in construction, materials, and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a parking coin depository of the type having a housing, a window in the housing, means for holding a plurality of coins in a passageway in the housing concealed from the window, manually movable means for revealing the coins individually to the window, and means for dropping the coins individually from the window area; the improvement comprising; magnetic material on said manually movable means so that it may be actuated by magnetic attraction of a magnetized key, said housing having an opening in the line of movement with the magnetic material, so that a magnetized key may be inserted in the opening and thus actuate the means mounted for movement.

2. In a parking coin depository of the type having a housing, a window in the housing, means for holding a plurality of coins in a passageway in the housing concealed from the window, manually movable means for revealing the coins individually to the window, and means for dropping the coins individually from the window area; the improvement comprising: the housing having an opening in line of the movement of the manually movable means, said opening having a rare shape, a

magnetic key of correlative shape in the opening and in contact with the manually movable means to actuate it.

3. A parking coin depository comprising: a housing; a slide; means for mounting said slide for approximate horizontal travel on one face of the inside of the housing; a window in said face of the housing; the window located within the confines of the slide movement; an opening in the housing for inserting coins located at a higher level than the slide; a passageway leading from said opening to said slide for containing coins and guiding them to the slide level; means for retaining coins on a level with the window concealed from the window; means responsive to movement of the slide in one direction for revealing the coin through the window; and means responsive to continued movement of the slide in said one direction for releasing the coin from the level of the window.

4. A parking coin depository comprising: a housing,

a guide attached to the housing, a slide mounted for movement along the guide, the housing having a window opposite the slide, the housing having an opening for inserting coins, a passageway leading from the coin opening to the guide, the slide having an upper surface parallel to the guide which in one position of the slide is below the passageway, the slide having SUITICIGIII travel to move said surface away from the passageway so that any coin in the passageway will drop to the level of the slide and window, the guide being a track and there being no obstruction between the passageway and the track except for said surface.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein the window is offset from the passageway, and the slide has an end surface normal to said upper surface for pushing a coin to the window.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein the track extends below the window but is discontinued past one edge of the window so that a coin may be pushed off the track by the end surface.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the slide has a magnetic material attached to it, and the housing has an opening in line with the movement so that a magnetized key may be inserted through the opening and thus actuate the means mounted for movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,933,126 Slattery Oct. 31, 1933 2,431,229 Compton Nov. 18, 1947 2,497,697 Smith Feb. 14, 1950 2,593,985 Compton Apr. 22, 1952 

